One of those red mugs with the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ slogan that was designed as a motivational poster during the Second World War but never actually released for public consumption.

The ‘Keep Calm’ message has been adapted, used and abused endlessly over recent years – so much so that it has probably lost its original significance and has, instead, become a light-hearted emblem for any cause that wishes to adopt it.

My favourites include:

Keep Calm and Eat Cake (or Chocolate or…)

Keep Calm and Pretend it’s on the Lesson Plan (great one for teachers)

and

Keep Calm and Bin It (I have an actual bin printed with that message).

Just keep going. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Just keep looking up and looking forward. Even if you can’t see a thing.

A MOST MEMORABLE MARATHON

My favourite ‘Just Keep Going’ story is of the athlete, John Stephen Akhwari, who represented Tanzania at the 1968 Olympic Games:

While competing in the marathon in Mexico City, Akhwari fell approximately half-way through the race, badly wounding his knee. He continued running, however, finishing last among the 57 competitors who completed the race (75 had started). The winner of the marathon, Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia, finished in 2:20:26. Akhwari finished in 3:25:27, when there were only a few thousand people left in the stadium and the sun had set.

As Akhwari crossed the finish line, a cheer came from the small crowd. When interviewed later and asked why he continued running, he said, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”